Combination hinge and catch for automobile-doors



W 5; W /AM #147114 (5-3. I

W. H. KROLL. COMBINATION HINGE AND CATCH FOR AUTOMOBILE DOORS.

APPLICATION FILED DEG,2 1920 1,383,548.

PATENT OFFICE.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM H KROLL, OF DE PERE, WISCONSIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 5, 1921.

Application f led December 2, 1920. Serial No. 427,783.

T (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, acitizen of the United States, residing at De Pere, in the county of Brown and State of Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination Hinges. and Catches for Automobile-Doors, of which the following is a'specification.

This invention relates to a combination hinge and catch for automobile doors, and is designed primarily to eliminate'the necessity of slamming the doors of an automobile in order to insure closing of the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide a catch cooperable with the door hinge to automatically close the door after the latter has passed through a certain partial movement, likewise permitting opening of the door merely by the exertion of pressure thereon, completely eliminating the use of door handles, levers, etc. V

r The above and other objects of the invention will be in part described and in part understood from the following description of the present preferred embodiment of the invention taken. in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: V

Figure 1, is a side elevational View of a device constructed in accordance with this invention illustrating its application on a vehicle door, a portion of the inside of the vehicle being shown. I

Fig. 2, is an elevational view of ahinge constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 3,is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view showing a top plan'view of the latch member used in this invention and its manner of connection to a door hinge.

Flg. 4, 1s a detail fragmentary side elevational view of the device lllustratlng its application on a door and door frame, a portlon of the latter being'shown 1n section, and

Fig. 5, is a detail fragmentary perspective view of the device illustrating its application and showing the door in an open position.

In order to illustrate the application of this invention, a portion of a; vehicle 6 is shown in which is mounted the skeleton of a door 7. V

The door is hinged to the 'vehicleby a hinge 8, one side 9 of which is attached to the inner margin of the door, while the opposite side 10 is attached to the door frame. The sides 9 and 10 are pivotallv connected WILLIAM H. .KRoLL,

by pintles in a manner well known in the art. The side 9 has an arcuate lip 11 struck upwardly therefrom, so as to provide an abutment, likewise providing a substantially rectangular opening 12. portion thereof struck out and rolled over, as indicated at 13, to provide a deflector, likewise providing an opening 14 with which a squared recess 15 communicates. The opening 14 is arranged diametrically opposite to the opening 12, so that the said openings will register when the sides of the hinge are brought in contact as illustrated to advantage in F ig. 4;

The door skeleton has a brace 16 mounted therein, upon which a right angled bearing plate 17 is mounted. The bearing plate receives one end of a latch bar 18 which is preferably circular in configuration and has a coil spring 19 convoluted thereon. The opposite end of said bar has a squared lug 2O upstanding from its upper margin. An 1nlug 20 is enlarged to provide a trip 24 which is engaged by one end of the spring 19. The opposite end of said spring extends through the bearing 17 and is threaded to receive a nut 25 which permits adjustment of the tension of the spring when desired.

When the door is in an open position the latch bar 18 will be in the position shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, in which position the shoulder 22 is in engagement with the side 9 of the hinge and is held in this position by the contractile action of the spring 19. The opening movement of the door is limited by a hasp fastener 26, one end of which is connected to the outer terminal of the latch bar by an eye-bolt, the

' opposite terminal being engageable with the movement the latch bar is raised upwardly in view of the inclined enlargement 21 with its oblique face 23 by contact with the deflector 13. After the latch bar has been elevated to a position where the shoulder 22 The side 10 has a will exert apressure upon the latch bar 18 20 into contact with so as to bring the lug the inner face of the side of the hinge, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. In this 7, way the door when it is perhaps still two or three inches opened, will be automatically operated into a completely closed position by the spring 19 and will be held in a closed position by the latter, which'will also act to prevent rattling of the door during movement of the vehicle. The door may be opened by exerting pressure thereon which action moves the door entirely independently of the latch bar until the abutment 11 comes in contact with-the abutment 24, the latter causing the bar to be moved downwardly so as to disengage the lug 20, thereby permitting the latch bar to be retracted through the openings 14 and 12 until the bar reaches the position shown in Fig. 4;.

Various changes may be made in this device within the scope of the appended,

claims.

What is claimed is:

1. combined-door hinge and catchincluding a yielding latch bar mounted in the door and engageable with the door frame to automatically operate the door into a closed position. V V 2. A combined door hinge and catch including a yielding latch bar mounted in the door and engageable with the door frame 'to automatically operate the door into a closed position, .pressure'on said door automatically disengaging the latch bar and permitting the door to be opened.

3. The same as claim '2, change-the period to a comma andfadd-an d means carried by said latch bar and automatically operable to limit the movement of said door; f a l 4:. A combineddoor hinge and catch including 'a hinge; one side of which is engaged with the door and the opposite side engaged with the door frameQa latch bar mounted in said door the side of the hinge on thedoor frame, means mounted upon said latch barto automatically, proiect the latter into the door frame upon contact of the latchbar with the hinge on saidrframe, whereby saidydoor is automatically elosedafter having been opand engageable with erated through a predetermined movement. 7

gaged with the 'door frame, a latch bar mounted in said door-and engageable with 7 the sideof the hinge onthe door frame to 'hold the doorcclosed, opening movement of said door automatically"disengaging said latch bar substantially-as described.

In testimony whereof I in presence of two witnesses: P

4 i p WILLIAM H. KBOLL. gWitnesses': Q s i VFRED M; SMITH,'@ f H.-BALAMENT.

afiix my signature 

